Action News Investigates has found multiple complaints about a Pittsburgh landlord. Former tenants accuse the landlord of forcing them to pay excessive fees against their security deposit.

Action News Investigates has found multiple complaints about a Pittsburgh landlord. Former tenants accuse the landlord of forcing them to pay excessive fees against their security deposit.

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Updated: 6:16 PM EDT Sep 29, 2016

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WEBVTT ANNOUNCER: NOW ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES. SHANNON: TONIGHT ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES HAS FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT ONE PITTSBURGH LANDLORD, FORMER TENANTS ACCUSING THE LANDLORD OF FORCING THEM TO PAY EXCESSIVE FEES AGAINST THEIR SECURITY DEPOSITS. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER PAUL VAN OSDOL IS HERE NOW. MIKE C: PAUL THERE'S COMPLAINTS ARE COMING FROM STUDENTS RIGHT. REPORTER: THAT'S RIGHT. THE LANDLORD SAYS IT HANDLES SECURITY DEPOSITS PROPERLY BUT FORMER TENANTS SAY IT IS UNFAIR THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ALMOST A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE THEIR APARTMENT REPAINTED BECAUSE OF A FEW NAIL HOLES. COLLEGE STUDENTS FLOCK TO OPERATES LIKE THESE OVER SEEN BY KURPEK IN MANAGEMENT WHEN ASKED HOW THEIR APARTMENT LOOKED WHEN THEY MOVED ALL THEY ALL HAD THE SAME STORY? IT WAS SUPER CLEAN. >> WE MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS SPOTLESS. >> SCRUBBED THE WALLS, FLOORBOARDS, THE KITCHEN. >> WE CLEAN IT I, WE LEAVE IT THE WAY IT WAS WHEN WE CAME IN. REPORTER: BUT THAT DID NOT KEEP THEM FROM LOSING MOST OF THEIR SECURITY DEPOSIT. IN SOME CASES MORE THAN A THROUGH DOLLARS. KRISTEN AND HER ROOMMATES WERE CHARGED $1,170 AGAINST THEIR SECURITY DEPOSIT, INCLUDING $965 TO HAVE THEIR APARTMENT REPAINTED AND THE PLASTER REPAIRED. >> IT'S JUST OUTRAGEOUS. THERE IS NO WAY THAT IT COST THEM OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CLEAN AND REPAIR THAT APARTMENT, WE DIDN'T PUT A SINGLE NAIL ON THE WALL THE ENTIRE YEAR. IF WE HUNG EVERYTHING WE USED COMMAND STRIPS EUFPBLTS LAUREN AND HE . REPORTER: LAUREN AND HER ROOMMATES WERE CHARGED $750 FOR PATCHING AND PAINTING. >> REALLY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE MADE A COMPLETE EFFORT TO KEEP THE PLACE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. >> I DIDN'T TOUCH A NAIL THE ENTIRE TIME, BECAUSE I KNEW LIKE THAT WOULD GET US IN TROUBLE. REPORTER: GABE SAYS HE AND HIS ROOMMATE DID HAVE SOME NAIL HOLES AT THEIR SHADYSIDE APARTMENT. >> NORMAL DECORATIONS, HANGING IN THE APARTMENT, BUT $900 OF PAINTING ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS. REPORTER: THESE ARE PICTURES OF MAIL HOLES THAT WERE LEFT AT ALI'S SHADYSIDE APARTMENT. THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY USED THE IMAGES TO JUSTIFY CHARGING 1107 $5 TO REPAINT VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE APARTMENT. >> I DON'T THINK FOR A LITTLE HOLE THAT SHOULD WARRANT THE ENTIRE ROOM NEEDING TO BE REPAINTED. REPORTER: ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES BROUGHT THE STUDENTS COMPLAINT TO THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW. WE ALSO WANT ARE WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THIS A COMPLAINT FILED WITH A DISTRICT JUDGE BY THREE FORMER OTHER TENANTS WHO CLAIMED THE COMPANY OVERCHARGED THEM BY $1,000 INCLUDING 600 FOR PAINTING. THE COMPANY REFUSED OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW. IN THIS LETTER THEIR ATTORNEY SAYS IT INVOLVES INFORMATION CONCERNING CONDITIONS OF PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND ACTIVE LITIGATION. HE ADDS, THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY TAKES THE SECURITY DEPOSIT DISPOSITION PROCESS VERY SERIOUSLY AND TAKES STEPS TO INSURE THAT EACH SECURITY DEPOSIT DISPOSITION IS CORRECT AND ACCURATE. BEFORE LAST YEAR THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY WAS KNOWN AS ES MANAGEMENT. IN AN EMAIL T TENANTS WHEN THE NAME CHANGED IT SAID IT WAS KEEPING THE SA SAME OFFICE, SAME PHONE NUMBER AND SAME STAFF AS ES THE. LIKE THIS MANAGEMENT COMPANY ES HAD PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT SECURITY DEPOSITS AND SOME OF THEM ENDED UP IN COURT. IN A 2011 CASE A JUD FOUND THAT A TWO NAILS IN A WALL DID NOT REQUIRE A WHOLESALE REPAINTING. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE DONE BUT IT WAS INFLATED. HE ORDERED THE COMPANY TO REIMBURSE $700 AFTER A $1,450 SECURITY DEPOSIT. ANOTHER JUDGE RULED THEY VIOLATED THE STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW BY CHARGING TENANTS AN OVERLY HIGH SECURITY

Student tenants accuse landlord of overcharging them

Action News Investigates has found multiple complaints about a Pittsburgh landlord. Former tenants accuse the landlord of forcing them to pay excessive fees against their security deposit.